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CDOT details I‑25/State Highway 14 (Mulberry) interchange plans; floodplain, pedestrian safety highlighted
Summary
Colorado Department of Transportation staff updated Larimer County commissioners on design work for the I‑25/State Highway 14 interchange at Mulberry, emphasizing pedestrian/bicycle safety, aging bridges, coordination with Fort Collins and potential floodplain actions that could require removal of some structures to reduce flood risk.
CDOT and consultant staff on Jan. 27, 2025, briefed the Larimer County Board of County Commissioners on ongoing design work for improvements to the I‑25 and State Highway 14 interchange at Mulberry, including safety upgrades, bridge work and options to address a nearby floodplain that the agency said could reduce long‑term costs.
The discussion centered on addressing pedestrian and bicycle safety, infrastructure reliability and regional connectivity while coordinating with Fort Collins and other local partners. Gina Fox, CDOT resident engineer, said, "since 2023 and 2024 we've had 7 pedestrians or bicycles hit out here," noting the number of recent strikes as a central safety concern.
Why it matters: the interchange is a regional node connecting eastern development, commuter flows into Fort Collins and access to potential future destinations such as the Glade Reservoir. CDOT staff said the project grew out of the North I‑25 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and was placed on CDOT's 10‑year plan; the Transportation Commission approved funding that allowed design to begin and the project to receive $3,500,000 to kick off design work in 2022, but CDOT said it has not secured final design or construction funding.
CDOT staff described several technical goals. They identified aging bridges and the need to modernize roadway geometry to improve reliability for growing commuter volumes. Traffic modeling that projects to 2050 shows heavier turning demand; staff described a possible need for triple left turn lanes at some ramps to keep movements flowing. CDOT also identified a pattern of pedestrian and bicycle strikes at and near the interchange and said improvements would include pedestrian and bicycle accommodations where feasible.
Floodplain opportunity and constraints: staff highlighted Cooper Slough and Box Elder drainage features near the interchange. Gina Fox said CDOT can complete safety improvements "without having to cause a rise in the floodplain," and added that a separate opportunity exists to reduce the mapped floodplain footprint by making drainage improvements that could remove some structures from the regulated floodplain. CDOT staff and county commissioners discussed a Fort Collins Cooper Slough master plan that staff said included roughly $20,000,000 in improvements to convey flood flows under Mulberry and into Box Elder; staff noted alternatives might reduce that cost.
Funding, timing and next steps: CDOT staff said design work began last February after consultant selection and that they expect to present an optimization package for agency agreement in May 2025. The agency stated it will pursue grant opportunities and other funding sources for later phases; staff mentioned federal and state grant programs as likely candidates. CDOT offered a targeted, optimistic construction window of summer 2027 if funding is obtained, but staff repeatedly cautioned that construction funding is not yet secured.
Coordination with local partners: commissioners asked about coordination with the City of Fort Collins, the Bloom and Montava developments, Wellington and local metro districts. CDOT said Fort Collins staff have been briefed and that coordination is ongoing; staff said the project modeling includes known nearby development counts and that the city is exploring additional railroad crossings to relieve local congestion.
Commissioners and staff discussed local drainage, potential grant packages that could combine CDOT, county and municipal matches, and whether removing some structures from the floodplain could create developable land and reduce long‑term costs for both transportation and flood mitigation. CDOT said it is continuing stakeholder outreach and will work with Larimer County staff and Fort Collins to refine cost estimates and funding strategies.
No formal action or vote was taken at the work session. Commissioners asked staff to continue coordination, provide cost estimates for floodplain and drainage options, and pursue grant and partnership opportunities to reduce both local drainage problems and CDOT project costs.
Looking ahead: CDOT expects to return with an optimization for multi‑agency review in May 2025 and will continue public outreach; construction remains contingent on securing funding.
